Note: This is a work of Fanfiction, all characters of Percy Jackson Universe and Marvel Universe belong to Rick Riordan and Marvel.
A/N: An apology for updating so late. I'll try to be as consistent as possible in the future. Thank you to all those who had reviewed, followed, and favorited my story. A shout-out to NVJ for their feedback, I have tried to work on it. Thanks for the support. Canon followed story will end soon, so please bear with me :)
II
"DUCK!"
Percy ducked the oncoming horizontal slash of spearhead from behind him. He was not even sure to who the spear belonged at this point. What mattered was they stayed alive until the gods arrive. Percy is not sure how long they are fighting in that ring. Maybe minutes, maybe hours, but he is positive that they are not doing well. Seven demigods surrounded by thirty-foot-tall dragon-legged giants? Yeah, not a great day in Percy's book. Weapons are coming from all directions, and all they can do is survive.
Out of the corner of his eye, Percy saw Porphyrion charging towards Piper. While she was engaged with his daughter Periboia. Percy advanced from the side as the giant neared Piper. Percy locked his sword with the tip of Porphyrion's spear and forced it down into the ground. The giant's momentum lifted him off his feet in an unintentional pole-vault maneuver and he flipped over onto his back.
Riptide had cluttered out of Percy's hand. He didn't have time to wait for his blade to return to him. Percy bent over the giant king, trying to yank a sword from the braids of his hair. But Porphyrion wasn't as stunned as he led to be.
"Fools!" Porphyrion roared and backhanded Percy like a pesky fly. The son of Poseidon flew into a column with a sickening crunch.
Percy stood up and staggered a little, obviously dazed. And held his head, waited for the pain to pass.
"I think the defensive ring wasn't a good idea." Percy relayed his earlier thoughts to others as he uncapped his pen again.
"No shit Sherlock!" Leo exasperated and dodged another strike.
"Yeah. He is right. We need more breathing room or else we are visiting Underworld real soon. Permanently." Jason voiced out his own happy thoughts.
"Alright then. Let's take this fight to air. So here's the plan. Frank, you–"
Annabeth never gets to finish her plan as Acropolis became dark. Percy knew Annabeth didn't like this disruption, but it didn't matter right now. Percy looked up and all his prayers got answered. Reinforcement was here!
Instead of blue skies, Percy saw black space spangled with stars, the palaces of Mount Olympus gleaming silver and gold in the background. And an army of gods charged down from on high. It reminded him of the hyperspace jump in Star Wars, which he loved in his childhood. As if Rebellions came to aid them straight from far reaches of the galaxy.
There was super-sized Zeus, his original form – the same which he had at the time of Second Titan War – riding into battle in a golden chariot, a lightning bolt the size of a telephone pole crackling in one hand. Pulling his chariot were four horses made of wind, each constantly shifting from equine to human form, trying to break free. Percy remembered Annabeth teaching about how four wind gods – Boreas, Zephyrus, Euros, and something along the line of Notes, pull his chariot.
A THUNK sound came from their ship andthe glass bay doors of Argo II split open. The goddess Nike tumbled out, free from her golden net. She spread her glittering wings and soared to Zeus's side, taking her rightful place as his charioteer.
"MY MIND IS RESTORED!" she roared. "VICTORY TO THE GODS!"
Zeus's left flank rode Hera, her chariot pulled by enormous peacocks, their rainbow-colored plumage so bright Percy wanted to pluck his eyes out. Ares bellowed with glee as he thundered down on the back of a fire-breathing horse. His spear glistened red.
The last second, before the gods reached the Parthenon, they seemed to displace themselves, as they'd actually jumped through hyperspace. Percy's inner child jumped in glee at that thought.
Jason watched in awe as he saw his father, Jupiter – no, this was Zeus. Is he even considered his father now that he is in his Greek aspect? But both have different personalities. Though at his roots, he is the same deity. It all gave Jason a headache. Jason shook the thought away and again focused on his maybe father, the king of the gods, leading the charge, a javelin of pure electricity cracking in hands – which Jason guessed was his Master Bolt. The chariots disappeared. Suddenly, Olympians surrounded his friends. Now human-sized, tiny next to the giants, but glowing with power.
"About time." Jason heard as Percy mumbled nearby.
Poseidon next to Percy smirked at him, and Jason just realized that Percy got his signature smirk from his father. Next to the sea god, Percy looked just like young Poseidon.
"We were just waiting for the right time to join," Poseidon replied as he brandished his Trident.
Percy just rolled his eyes and plastered his own smirked as he replied to his father.
"I thought it was just Zeus for the dramatic entrances."
Jason was baffled by Percy's comment and the way he was speaking with the sea god. Jason gave a sideways glance to his father to see if he had heard his friend's comment. Zeus was scanning the battlefield. The arrival of gods had unnerved the giants – still in shock – had taken a few steps back from their reinforcements. If Zeus had heard him, he didn't show, and Jason was glad about that.
Poseidon just chuckled. "Personalities start to rub off after a millennium, and you handled it quite well."
"It would have helped if you all had come earlier."
Jason didn't know what to think of their interaction. He was surprised at the way Percy was speaking to his father – an Olympian, no less – his condescending tone, his retorts on god's decisions, and his comments on Olympians. Talking all this amongst demigods is one thing, but telling it all in the face of one of the Roman's most feared gods?! It was a bit unnerving to Jason.
Jason was also jealous of him. He felt jealous of Percy on many occasions – when he heard of his high praises and escapades on Camp Half-Blood, when he saw him wearing a toga and a purple cape with eagle medal – rank of praetor – his rank, and on occasions when he realized that Percy is a better leader than him. He knew it was because of petty human tendencies. But this, this was different. Seeing Percy and Poseidon like this – talking – not like a god and his sired demigod, but like an ordinary father and son who love each other. Jason heard how proudness oozed out when Poseidon compliment Percy on how he handled the situation, just like how a father should be.
Jason never had this – a family. Jason never had a parental figure. He was too young to remember his time with his mother and Thalia. Lupa was all about not showing weakness. There can't be a weakness in the Wolf pack. Camp Jupiter treated him like royalty – a prince in waiting. Camp Half-Blood was different. Chiron – the legendary trainer of Heroes – somehow filled that void a little. But now, seeing them both like this, like an actual family,Jason couldn't help but feel jealous. This is everything he didn't have. Everything he longed for. He looked towards the King of Gods, right next to Zeus he felt a little uncomfortable. Reassuringly familiar, but still uncomfortable.
Poseidon's heavy sigh brought Jason out of his thoughts and his focus back to the father-son duo. He saw the sea god furrow his brows. He was pondering if he should tell him something. He sighed again and looked at his son.
"We came as soon as Parthenos enter New York, and we could maintain our aspect and able to fight. Though I can't say the same about Athena – or Minerva at her current form."
Jason looked a little further from Percy and Poseidon, Annabeth and Minerva. Former still looked a little skinny with sunken cheeks – like Percy – from her excursion to Tartarus. Latter looked as if a child had woken up from a nap against their will. And it concerned Jason a little. Maybe Percy felt the same as he asked his father, and Jason's focus shifted back to Percy and Poseidon's conversation.
"She alright? She is acting very- un-Athena-like."
"I don't know, son," Poseidon said regretfully. "This rift affected her the most. What Romans did to her, it wounded her pride deeply and, even after Parthenos being near Olympus, she was still troubled."
Their conversation ended as Zeus raised his Master Bolt and shot a massive lightning bolt amid the giant ranks. They saw it as a signal of commencement, both sides charged.
Jason shouted and charged Porphyrion. His friends joined in the carnage. The fighting ranged all over the Parthenon and spilled across the Acropolis.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jason saw Annabeth fighting Enceladus. At her side stood his mother. Still looking troubled and with a child-like attitude. The goddess lifted her spear, then flashed her shield with the fearsome, bronzed visage of Medusa at the giant. Surprisingly didn't advance or show any movement of aggression. Jason had always heard that Greek Minerva – Athena was a warrior – never yielding and headstrong. Which slightly confused Jason, seeing Athena's lack of involvement. Nevertheless, Annabeth engaged Enceladus. Jason focused on his foe as he heard his battle cry.
On the opposite side of the temple, Frank Zhang stood next to his father. He had taken a Greek form. Frank wasn't sure why. It may have been because of four Greek demigods in their midst or due to them being in Greece. Seeing war god next to him – his maniacal smile and glee-filled eyes – Frank can't decide if his father was looking more like a super-villain who just executed his master plan or like a child who got to open his Christmas gifts before Christmas. Maybe Percy was indeed right. Ares is a lot different from how his Roman counterpart, Mars, behaved in their brief interactions. Frank felt uneasy beside Ares, unlike how he felt when Mars gifted him his spear.
"Let's see how you fare in your most dangerous battle to date. In front of you lies disaster." said Ares, pointing towards the gathering giants with his head.
"Know your enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster."
"I see you read your books." said Ares chuckling.
"There was a reason you gave it to me." Frank didn't know where such confidence came from, but it's oddly refreshing. Maybe it's because he is standing with his father, despite that ever-present uneasy feeling.
"Enough talk! Show me what you got." said Ares as he hit the butt of his spear in the ground and advanced towards the giants.
Frank took his time to analyze his enemy. Lesser giants had gathered to form phalanges. Ares already reached the first phalanx, ran his spear through the first giant. Frank turned into a large African elephant advanced towards the giant's giant army.
Frank and the god Ares smashed through an entire phalanx of giants. The war god laughed and stabbed and disemboweled like a kid destroying piñatas. And Frank smashing them under his huge feet or crushing and throwing them with his six-feet long trunk.
"Take that, punk!" exclaimed Ares as he smashed his shield into another giant's neck. Ares turns around and slashes another giant who Frank threw in his direction.
Hazel once again opted for her earlier strategy, one she adopted from Percy – when he told her how Great White Shark hunt their prey; to distract Hazel after her another failed attempt at using Mist back in Argo II – 'appear and kill'.
Hazel mounted on Arion's back and raced through the battlefield – disappearing into the Mist whenever a giant came close – then appearing behind him and stabbing him in the back. The goddess Hecate danced in her wake, setting fire to their enemies with two blazing torches.
"You are becoming proficient on Mist control. I indeed made a right choice choosing you as its bearer."
"Thank you," said Hazel as heat spread across her face on Hecate's compliment. Out of the corner of her eye, Hazel saw the goddess's lips curl upward, and Hazel felt a rush of pride rise inside her chest.
Zillionth time, Piper thanked Hazel and their training at Argo II as she fenced Periboia. Piper admitted that the giant princess was remarkably good with sword. How Annabeth held her off effortlessly? Piper could only imagine. Maybe spending half of your life training and being a war veteran gives you an upper hand. Also, even her mentor Hazel had turned up at her camp a few months before Piper, so it's not that Hazel had any special training, bar their Roman legion regime.
Regardless, Piper was content. She gave Periboia a run for her money. Even though giantess was five times larger than Piper, she was doing good. She had her mother for her occasional slip-ups or being getting overpowered. The goddess Aphrodite floated around them on a small white cloud, strewing rose petals in the giantess's eyes and calling encouragement to Piper.
"Lovely, my dear. Yes, good. Hit again!" Despite being silly, it gave her more confidence and energy boost. She fought with renewed vigor. Piper wasn't sure if it was her mother's praises or Aphrodite's sly way of helping Piper with her godly magic. Whatever the case, Piper wasn't complaining. She was winning, after all.
Whenever Periboia tried to strike, doves rose from nowhere and fluttered in the giantess's face. Every so often, Aphrodite slashes the giant princess with her spear. Still, she kept violence to a least. It was understandable though, love is tender, after all.
It was Aphrodite's strike that gave Piper the chance to end this battle. Piper's mother flying up in the air on her Cloud Cushion Airways – Piper blames Leo for her such thoughts – above Periboia's head, thrust her spear, and pierced through giantess jugular, and she roared. Giantess fell on her knees, golden ichor ran down her neck as she tried to take it out while trying to suppress her scream from the obvious pain.
Piper saw Periboia distracted and leaped up and stabbed the daughter of Porphyrion in her chest. Still dangling from her sword grip, Piper noticed her strike would not kill her opponent anytime soon. So Piper unsheathed Katoptris and dug her dagger – hilt deep – right into the giantess's heart.
Leo was never one for fighting. He believed himself an inventor and mechanic. Leo always loved to build rather than destroy or mutilate. Leo was busy building his masterpiece – Argo II, when everybody was training back in Camp Half-Blood, so he got little training in his stay. Now – amid the battlefield, Leo wished he had taken out few hours to train. He would have preferred to be on top of Acropolis on Argo II – shooting ballistae, dropping hammers on the giants, giving his friends air support. But he can't leave his friends in the heat of battle while he takes the cover of his battle trireme. If anyone of them died, he could not bear their death in his conscience.
Leo was standing there. His hand on the hammer. The other lit up on fire. Next to him stood his father, Hephaestus – God of Forges and Fire and other things tinkering with something unconsciously while surveying the field. Now Leo knew from where he got his knack of tinkering. He felt confident, despite his earlier thoughts, and his previous doubts didn't plague him anymore.
Leo bashed his hammer on the chest of a giant and threw another fire blast towards the huddle of giants. Meanwhile, Hephaestus held a freaking bazooka right now, charging with a light golden color. Leo now understood what his father was tinkering. He made a mental note to create one of his own after this madness get over. Bazooka jerked back a bit as it recoiled. A ZOOP of golden beam launched out of it and pierced three giants. Then blasted a group of giants, leaving only golden dust and little flames of Greek Fire in its wake. Bazooka must have used his father's godly essence – Leo theorized, though he wasn't so sure about it.
Leo made eye contact with his father. He was sure he never had a wider grin on his face. "OOH! I love machines!" Leo exclaimed. His father had a smirk on his face and both resumed disintegrating their opponents.
Jason advanced as he heard Porphyrion's battle cry. The giant used his spear in a whirlwind of swipes, jabs, and slashes. Jason kept dodging and parrying, which didn't give him any room for offensive attacks. All Jason could do was stay alive. Soon his father came by his side and blocked an oncoming strike, which Jason was sure would have killed him.
Jason had never thought of fighting right next to a god, no less Olympian. Jason couldn't help but see his father's appearance again. Zeus smelled of rain and clean wind. He made the air burn with energy. Up close, his lightning bolt appeared as a bronze rod a meter long, pointed at both ends, with blades of energy extending from both sides to form a javelin of white electricity. He slashed across the giant's path, Porphyrion collapsed into his makeshift throne, which crumbled under the giant's weight.
"No throne for you," Zeus growled. "Not here. Not ever."
"You cannot stop us!" the giant yelled. "The Earth Mother will awake!" In answer, Zeus blasted the throne to rubble. The giant king flew backward out of the temple, and Jason ran after him, his father at his heels.
They backed Porphyrion to the edge of the cliffs, the whole of modern Athens spread out below. Lightning had melted all the weapons in the giant's hair. Molten Celestial bronze dripped through his dreadlocks like caramel. His skin steamed and blistered. Porphyrion snarled and raised his spear.
"Your cause is lost, Zeus. Even if you defeat me, the Earth Mother shall raise me again!"
"Your arrogance is your demise Porphyrion!" Zeus said, "Perhaps you should not die in the embrace of Gaia." Zeus looked toward him, "Jason, my son - " Jason had never felt so good, so recognized, as when his father said his name. It's no Percy-Poseidon, but it's better than what he and his father had before – which was nothing.
To make his father proud, Jason advanced. Porphyrion lashed out wildly with his spear, but Jason – rejuvenated after Zeus's words – cut it in half with his gladius. He charged in, jabbing his sword through the giant's breastplate, then summoned the winds and blasted Porphyrion off the edge of the cliff. As the giant fell, screaming, Zeus pointed his lightning bolt. An arc of pure white heat vaporized Porphyrion in midair. His ashes drifted down in a gentle cloud, dusting the tops of the olive trees on the slopes of the Acropolis.
Jason looked around, and the scene in front of him will be going to give him nightmares. He was sure of that. Jason shuddered as he saw the old giant Thoon, who was getting bludgeoned to death by three old ladies with brass clubs – the Fates, armed for war. Jason decided there was nothing in the world scarier than a gang of bat-wielding grannies.
Percy was worried. After his little talk with his father, he wasn't sure if he should leave Annabeth on her own. Athena was with her, and she is one of the most formidable warriors of Olympus. Annabeth will be alright. No matter how troubled Goddess of Wisdom is, she won't let her daughter get hurt. Right?
A shock of thunder interrupted his musing, and he focused on mostly dead – but still quite large – Army of giants advancing towards them. Hades wasn't here, but Percy was pretty sure that he was invisible with his Helm of Darkness, as whenever a giant stumbled and fell, the ground broke open; the giant snapped up and swallowed. But he fixed his focus on the Aloadae Giants. Otis and Ephialtes – carrying their spear, approaching the sea.
"What? No spectacle? No hypogeum? No ballerina dress? I must say, I am quite disappointed." Percy mocked as the giant twins came near.
"See Ephialtes! People wanted to see a show. We should have been more persuasive to Porphyrion."
"Yes! Fall of gods and rise of Gaea, with explosions and choreography. It would have been the greatest show ever!"
"Your shows are lame Ephialtes! And you know what's more pathetic than stacking up mountains? Killing each other with your own spear." Poseidon retorted. Percy felt proud. He wasn't sure if it's because he insults just like his father or because his father was sassy. Whatever the case, he felt proud at that moment and followed.
"Oh, they did that again. Otis killed him with his spear and then splattered under the fallen roof. It had been the most entertaining moment of this entire quest." Percy informed his father.
"Then they should broadcast their humiliating ways to die. Maybe that will garner them some attention."
Giants twins were fuming with anger. Their spears were shuddering in their hands and pure fury looming in their eyes. Percy always follows his lesson – furious the foe, more rash their decisions. That's why he always riles up his opponents, to force them to make mistakes, so later he could exploit them.
Ephialtes roared in fury. "That's it! I am going to crush you both sea bloods under my foot."
"With what? Twelve feet of height? I have had fought griffins taller than you." Percy mocked the giants. And it seems it indeed struck the cord. Both the twins and their pack of lesser giants roared and attack.
Percy blocked the Otis spearhead as he tried to slash him horizontally, and his sword jerked back slightly. The giant seemed strong than the last time. Maybe he was toying with them last time, in the dream of a 'great show'. Though Percy was also much stronger now. Tartarus – broken glass ground, sulfuric air, and the nightmare of immortals maybe – but it had taught him many things. And battle prowess was one of them. And he will not repeat Rome again.
Percy ducked as Otis sent another horizontal slash at him, but now aiming for his head. Percy reacted fast, stepped in his guard, and sliced his right arm bicep. Otis roared and took a step back, increasing the distance between them. Otis stuck again, adopting stabbing than slashing. Percy stepped sided as Otis thrust his spear forward with so much force that, if he had been standing there, he would have had a spear-sized hole in his body. Otis stumbled forward as he hit the empty air. Percy took the advantage and stabbed Otis's left flank, piercing between armor and straight through the heart and lungs.
Otis held his left size and growled toward the son of Poseidon. Before Otis could attack Percy, he was shot halfway across the Acropolis as a pressured jet stream of water hit the giant. As he was about to hit the ground, the earth split apart as a monstrous maw and swallowed him whole.
Percy watched his father in sick fascination as Poseidon sliced the remaining giant army with his Trident while keeping Ephialtes at bay. Percy is awed by how his father wields his Trident with such grace and precision. He felt the temptation to learn how to fight with a trident of his own. Just like his father. Percy glanced at his trustworthy companion in his hand and disregarded the idea, and joined his father to decimate the giants.
Percy had a smile on his face, he felt some strange satisfaction at hearing cries of giants as they fell prey to his sword. He felt the same when he had heard cries of Akhlys and countless others down in the pit.
Seeing Percy joining the battle, and the absence of one snake-legged giant made Ephialtes angry. He roared and attacked Percy, letting out a fury of wild slices and stabs, killing more of his allies than Percy. Though one hit his face as giant swung his spear shaft, Percy staggered back a few steps by the sheer force of the attack. Poseidon had enough of the Giant and morphed his Trident into a fire hose. The god sprayed the Ephialtes – and the others – out of the Parthenon with a high-powered blast in the shape of wild horses.
"Cool!" Percy exclaimed with glee at his father's attack. But that grin disappeared. His blood ran cold as he heard a shrill scream from across the battleground.
.
A/N: And Period. The next chapter will be up soon. The quote 'Know your enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster' is a loose translation of Sun Tzu's words in his book 'The Art of War' that Mars gifted Frank at the end of 'Son of Neptune'; And the Romans felt uncomfortable with their parents in Greek form was because they were in their Greek form. Hence, familiar and different at the same time. Please review what you think about it. Constructive criticism is appreciated :)